Silent Screams
by OswinOswaldFTW
Summary: Repeatedly hurt by the ones who should love her the most, Maddie Williams finds herself facing the world alone and afraid. Often times she contemplates ending her miserable existence, but she can never bring herself to do it. Fem!Canada/England! T for abuse, self-harm, and rape.
1. The Canadian's Fear

**A/N - Hey, guys! Just a quick heads up before you read this, this story is very serious in nature (although it does contain quite a bit of good-natured Hetalian humor). The topics include rape, self-harm, and physical abuse. If this triggers anything, please don't read it! **

**You have been warned. **

* * *

Maddie Williams sat quietly in her chair, the meeting was over but she was afraid to leave because she knew he would be waiting. Holding Kumajiro tightly, she took a deep breath and stood up. Her heart beat began to quicken as each trembling footstep brought her closer to the large oak doors. Pale, shaking fingers reach out to grasp one of the brass handles and tug the door open. She glanced down the long corridor, letting a sigh of relief escape her lips when she realized it was empty. Her heart rate slowed to normal as she walked through the hallway, freedom just within reach. But just as she rounded the corner that lead to the front door, she came face to face with the last person she ever wanted to see; Francis Bonnefoy.

"Bonjour, Madison." He cooed softly, a lusty gleam in his ocean blue eyes. "I've been waiting for you."

She turned to dart back down the hallway but before she could make her escape, he caught the sleeve of her scarlet jacket and pulled her back.

"Onhonhonhon! Did you think I would let my precious little flower get away that easily?"

The seductive tone in his voice made her want to vomit.

"Please, Francis!" She begged, her voice just above a whisper. "Just let me go!"

"And why on earth would I do that, mon amour?"

He grinned villainously as he pushed her frail body to the ground. Maddie let out a cry of pain as her head smacked against the hard floor. Using his hands to pin her down, Francis began to nip at her throat, slowly moving upwards towards her face. He pressed his lips harshly against her's, chuckling to himself when a muffled protest escaped her mouth. He loved seeing her reduced to such a helpless state, it made him feel once more like the powerful nation he was so long ago. Several minutes passed before the Frenchman moved on to her clothing, pulling the pieces off bit by bit.

"Francis?" The Canadian's voice shook as she spoke.

"Yes, darling?"

"I h-hate you."

* * *

Arthur wanted kicked himself when he realized that he had left all his notes back at the conference room. He was already halfway to his hotel (which was on the other side of town) and now he would have to go all the way back to get them. After informing his taxi driver of his unfortunate mistake, he sat back and gazed out the car window. Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the building.

"I'll only be a tick." He informed the driver as he stepped out of the vehicle.

"Sure thing, sonny." The cabby nodded.

He made his way to the door, nearly being knocked over by a young, blonde girl that rushed out.

"Oi!" He shouted. "Why don't you watch where you're going you little-" He stopped when he noticed that her face was drenched with tears.

"I-I'm so sorry, Mr. Kirkland!" She apologized. "It won't happen again!"

With that she was gone, giving the English gentleman no chance to ask how she knew his name, nor why she was so upset. A glint of silver upon the ground caught his eye, reaching down to inspect it, he saw that it was a necklace. Lifting up the piece of jewelry, he noted that a tiny maple leaf dangled from the delicate chain. As he studied the neckwear, a strange sense of nostalgia began wash over him. He knew he had seen the silver leaf somewhere before, but where? Then it hit him; Madison Williams. This was the necklace that her brother, Alfred, had given to her for her birthday several years ago. He had been there himself, as well as Francis and Maddie's friend, Q-san. It had been so long since their last meeting that he had nearly forgotten her. Mystery solved, he slid the silver chain into his pocket to return to the Canadian nation the next day.

* * *

**A/N - As a major Canada fan, this was a rather difficult thing for me to write. I hate seeing my little Canadia get hurt. :'( **

**Hopefully you enjoyed this chappy, many more to come! **

**Reviews are always more than welcome. :)**


	2. Strangers

**A/N - A big thanks to those who favorited/added to alerts, it means a lot!**

Madison collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the softness of her pillow. Her muffled sobs echoed quietly in the darkened room, adding to the already gloomy atmosphere.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" She shouted angrily, grabbing her pillow and throwing it against her cloudy-gray bedroom wall. "It isn't fair! Everyone treats my like I'm invisible! Like I don't even exist... I HATE THEM! I hate all of them!"

She slammed her fist against the headboard of her bed, letting lose the emotions she so well concealed each and everyday of her life.

"I'm so sick of this!" She began screaming again. "Everyday I'm ignored by the people who should care, then I'm beaten and raped by a man who claims to love me!" Her screams began to fade back into melancholy sobs. "The world is so twisted... Sometimes I just... I just wish that I could end it all..."

She glanced over at her nightstand as she spoke. It would be so easy to slid the drawer open, take out her revolver and end her miserable existence. She could almost feel the cool metal of the muzzle pressing against her forehead. It scared her knowing how simple it would be to pull the trigger and seal her fate. But she didn't. With a sigh, she lay back down on the bed, slid under the covers and silently bid herself goodnight.

* * *

Warm rays of sunshine poured into the dreary room, pulling the tired Canadian from her slumber. With a yawn, Maddie stumbled out of bed, wishing that she could just sink back under the covers and sleep the day away. She slipped into a pair of blue jeans, pulled on a red sweatshirt and threw her short, honey curls into a messy bun on the top of her head. Satisfied with her appearance, she made her way downstairs for breakfast. The meal consisted of maple syrup drenched pancakes and a glass of cold milk, fresh from Ukraine. When she was finished eating, she placed her dishes in the sink, grabbed her notebook and headed out the door for the meeting.

The brush of the cool, autumn breeze against her skin sent shivers down her spine. Today was cooler than usual, but she didn't mind, it was nothing compared to the frigid Canadian winters she was used to. She sighed as she neared the conference building, wondering what horrors today had in store. Her footsteps echoed softly on the cobblestone floor as she made her entrance. She wound through the various corridors and up to the council room doors. One hand place on the door handle, the other holding her notebook and Kumajiro, she stepped inside. Surprisingly, she was one of the first to arrive. She figured that the others must have gotten stuck in traffic, leaving her glad that she had opted for walking instead. Besides herself, the only other nations present were Ludwig, Kiku, and Ivan who sat in his chair grinning childishly while the other two countries conversed quietly. With a huff of confidence, she took a seat beside the large Russian country. While most were intimidated by his size and power, she didn't find him the least bit scary; at least, not compared to Francis.

"Good m-morning, Mr. Braginski!" She chirped, trying to make conversation; he didn't even flinch. Determined to be noticed, she tried again, this time raising her volume,

"How are you today?"

No response.

"Mr. B-Braginski?"

Nothing.

"Ivan?"

This time the other nation looked up, "Did someone call?" He asked. Both Kiku and Ludwig shook their heads and went back to whatever it was they had been discussing.

Ivan furrowed his brow in confusion, he was certain he had heard someone say his name. Bending down to check underneath the table, he spotted a rather contented looking Kumajiro.

"Hello, little bear." He smiled. "Was it you that did the calling of me?"

Kumajiro cocked his head to the side, "Mr. Russia?"

"Da, that is my name."

Madison was half tempted to kick the polar bear.

"Of all people, you remember his name but not mine?" She growled.

"Who are you?" Kumajiro asked, turning his attention to his owner.

"Canada." She murmured, rubbing her hand against her forehead in frustration. Ivan continued to smile eerily at the little bear, no doubt plotting a way to force the unsuspecting creature to become one with himself. Just as well, she thought, it's not like he'd miss me anyway.

* * *

Arthur stared intently at the silver necklace in his hand. He found himself extremely bothered by how easy it had been able to forget about Madison, it was almost as though she'd been erased completely from his mind. Last he remembered, the nation had been a small child and now she was completely grown up. It seemed almost impossible, but it was true nonetheless. All night he'd found himself mulling over yesterday's episode with her, leaving him absolutely exhausted. The pain expressed in her violet eyes had been so raw that he could almost feel it himself, like a dull knife being thrust deep into his chest. The shimmering tears that covered her face broke his heart. They had been so close, but now, he felt as though he didn't even know her. They were strangers.

**A/N - Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, it was great fun to write. Also, I believe I may have just invented a new ship; RussiaxKumajiro. ^_^**

**Reviews?**


	3. The Englishman's Request

**A/N - Wow, so many faves last chap! You guys are awesome, like Prussia awesome! ^_^**

**Just a heads up, towards the end of this chapter I used quite a bit of French, the translations are on the bottom of the page. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When the conference room doors opened, no one needed to look up to see who had entered. Maddie winced at the loudness of her older brother's voice.

"Yo, dudes!" He called to Kiku and Ludwig. "What's crackalackin?"

"Ugh, that body needs to learn some volume control." She muttered softly, putting in a pair of headphones to drown out his voice. Even with her music all the way up, she could still hear the majority of what Alfred was saying. Something about a new 'superhero' he was going to create to save the world when the sun decided to explode. As if that's actually gonna happen, she thought to herself. An vaguely familer hand placed itself gently on her shoulder, making her jump in surprise. She whirled around to find herself facing Arthur Kirkland.

"My apologizes if I frightened you, Madison."

"N-no not at all, Mr. K-Kirkland." She stammered. "I'm uh... Really sorry about r-running into you yesterday, it was a total accident, I-"

"It's fine." He smiled. "And please, call me Arthur."

Maddie nodded, he mind racing, why on earth does he want to talk to me? She and Arthur hadn't had an official conversation since she was a little girl. It felt strange having him finally speak to her again after all this time, almost unnatural. Feeling her cheeks getting hot, she soon regretted her decision to put her hair up, wishing she could hide behind her golden locks.

"You dropped this yesterday." He said, holding out a silver object for her to take. "I thought you might appreciate it being returned to you."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "My necklace! Thank you, Mr- er, I mean uh... Thanks, Arthur."

"You're welcome." He smiled warmly, then continued, "I was wondering, since neither of us have been that in touch these past few years, if you would mind joining me for lunch today?"

Maddie felt her already hot cheeks turn bright red, she had most definitely not been expecting this.

"Well, er-I, uh-"

"You don't have to." The English nation quickly interjected. "I just thought it might be nice to get reacquainted."

"Y-yeah, that sounds good." She stuttered, her face redder than a tomato.

"Brilliant! I see you later then." He gave a slight wave as he walked off.

With a sigh, Maddie plummeted back into her seat, butterflies still fluttering in her stomach. It was strange of Arthur to take such a sudden interest in her, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Glancing up, she saw a very displeased Francis standing by the doorway, beckoning for her to come speak with him. With a gulp she stood and exited the room, her heart pounding in fear. As the two doors shut, she felt her body being slammed against the solid wall.

"Tell me, Madison. What did that unrefined _salaud_ have to say to you?"

"H-he uh, just wanted to return my necklace, I dropped it w-when I was leaving yesterday." She hated the way her voice trembled in Francis' presence, it seemed like the harder she tried to sound strong and confident, the more her voice shook with fear.

"_Est-ce que c'est tout_?" The Frenchman hissed in her ear.

"Uh… W-well…"

"Speak up, _mon fleur_."

"And he…. He asked me to go to lunch with him." She spoke after several minutes of silence.

"And you agreed to this, no?"

"Y-yes..."

Maddie braced herself for a slap, she was certain that this would make Francis angry. He and Arthur had never gotten along particularly well, they had been enemies or as long as she could remember. And sure enough, the back Francis' cold hand met her cheek with a painful smack.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" He screamed. "Have I not told you to keep away from that imbecile? The English bastard is no doubt using you to get informationation information on _moi_."

"B-but-"

"No!" He cut her off. "I refuse to hear it. You will not go to meet him, understood?"

"But Francis, I-um, I really don't think that he would-" Her sentence was cut off by the French nation suddenly pulling her into his arms.

"_Mon petite feuille d'érable_, you are still so naive." He whispered softly in her ear. "When will you learn that the only man you are truly safe with is _moi_."

His arms snaked their way around her tiny waist, pulling her closer his body and forcing her to burry her face in his chest.

"All those other countries, they don't really care about you." He cooed gently, a devious smirk on his face. "Not even Alfred."

Madison bit her lip, she wanted to protest, to say it wasn't true, but she couldn't. Rarely did her brother even acknowledge her existence and when he did, it was usually just to tease or make fun of her. She hadn't heard a kind word from him since she was a small child, but she still loved him regardless. He was her weak point. Francis knew this and often used it to his own advantage.

"Stay with me, _mon cheri_." He said, running his hand up and down her back. "I'm the only one who truly loves you."

Leaning down, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, followed a gentle peck on the lips.

"Ve?" Came an airy voice from behind the pair. "What are you doing, Francis? Did you get an imaginary girlfriend?"

Francis turned around, annoyed at being interrupted. Feliciano stared curiously at the Frenchman, not noticing the other nation wrapped tightly in his arms.

"Feliciano, Madison is very much a real person and I would appreciate it if you would show her a little respect."

Suddenly, the Canadian appeared before the Italian's eyes.

"Waahhh!" He screamed jumping backwards. "How did you make her disappear like that?"

Francis rolled his eyes. "I didn't."

"Ve?" Feliciano scratched his head in confusion, then brightened up, "Maybe Japan will know!"

Just like that, the Italian nation was gone, off to harass an unfortunate Kiku about how to make one's girlfriend disappear.

"Come, Madison." Francis smiled. "We wouldn't want to be late for the meeting."

* * *

**_Salaud -_ Bastard.**

**___Est-ce que c'est tout? -_ Is that all?**

**_Mon fleur -_ My flower.**

**___Moi -_ Me.**

**_____Mon petite feuille d'érable -_ My little maple leaf.**

**_______Mon cheri -_ My darling.**


	4. Past Reflections

**A/N - Alright guys, lots of MapleTea interaction in this chapter. Enjoy! :)**

The meeting ended almost an hour late, and as usual, the countries had agreed on absolutely nothing; they never did. Maddie gathered up her notes and headed out the door, scanning the heads of the various country personifications for England. She figured that even though Francis had banned them from having lunch together, she could at least be polite and tell Arthur that she wasn't coming. However, finding the English nation amongst such a large crowd was a great deal more difficult than she'd first presumed. Firstly, he wasn't exactly the tallest country in the world, and second, his blond hair made it even more difficult as most of the countries had similar hair colors. But finally, she spotted the Englishman heading out the door. She sighed and followed him outside, unsure of what she should say.

"Hey, uh... Arthur?" She called.

"Madison!" The Brit grinned upon seeing the other country. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Well I-uh... I-it's just that uh..." She stammered, trying to think of an excuse.

"Yes?" Arthur asked softly. "What is it?"

"I...I'm not feeling well." Maddie finally blurted out. "I think I should uh, probably go home."

"Oh..." He mumbled, his smile fading. "That's a shame... But you're right, if you aren't feeling well you should go home and get some rest. Another time perhaps?"

"Yeah." She nodded quickly, then bit down hard on her tongue when she realized what she had agreed to. "See you around then, eh!" She waved, praying that he hadn't heard her say yes, though she was fairly sure that he had. Turning away from Arthur, she began to make her way home. Several minutes passed silently before she heard his voice again.

"Don't tell me you actually plan on walking all the way home by yourself." He called in a somewhat teasing voice. She whirled around, violet eyes wide with shock,

"Were you f-following me?"

"As you see." He said plainly.

Before she could open her mouth to comment, he walked quickly over to where she stood and took her arm.

"At least let me be a gentleman and walk you home." He stated.

Madison nodded and continued walking, not really knowing what else to do. Being the polite person that she was, she didn't want to be rude and upset him by saying she preferred walking alone. But neither did she want to deal with Francis' anger when he found out, which he most certainly would. He seeming to have a talent for being able to find out each and every miserable little detail of her wretched life. Deciding it best not to say anything at present, she turned her full attention to the man walking beside her. She wasn't using to receiving this much attention from him and couldn't quite tell whether she liked it or not. Growing up, Arthur had always treated her with kindness, but directed most of his affections to Alfred, leaving her in the care of Francis. A solitary tear slid down her cheek, leaving a shimmering streak in it's wake as she reminisced the times when she'd been able to go to the French nation with all her problems. He was always there, waiting with open arms, ready to comfort her and fight away her every fear. That was what lead her to believe that he loved her, and that she loved him. Francis told her that he would protect her, that he would keep her safe from those that wished to harm her, and she trusted him. She could still remember the first time he kissed her, it seemed so perfect then, but now she wished that they had never met. The first time he pulled her into his bed was still vivid in her memory. Try as she might, she could never forget it, because in that moment that she had first seen him for what he really was; a monster. It all flooded back into her mind, his threats, her screams, the lust filled look in his cerulean eyes, she remembered it all, even the-

"Madison?" Arthur's voice cut off her thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"W-what do you mean?" She asked timidly.

"You're crying..." He pointed out, making no attempt to hide his concern.

Maddie reached up a hand and touched it gently to her face. Sure enough, her smooth, soft skin was wet with fresh tears.

"Oh-uh, er... It's nothing." She mumbled, wiping the liquid from her face.

"No, it's not." Arthur said sternly, placing a hand on each of her shoulders.

Madison squirmed under his touch, her cheeks growing red. She hadn't been touched by someone other than Francis in years, it felt strange, foreign. Slowly, she lifted up her violet eyes to meet his green, almost afraid of what she would find. Would he be angry with her for keeping secrets? Would he be annoyed with her for crying like a young child? Or would he just not care? But when she looked up, all she saw was his genuine concern. It warmed her heart more than she could say to know that there was at least one person left in the world who was concerned for her well being. His green eyes penetrated her violet orbs with such tender compassion that it made her almost want to tell him the dark secret that clouded her existence with misery and dread. But then, she remember why she couldn't, she remembered why she would never dare tell another living soul of the horrible things that Francis did to her each and every day.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, pulling herself from his touch and sprinting her home as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Wait, Madison!" Arthur called after her, but it was too late, she was gone.

"Dammit!" He spat, kicking a nearby rock. "I just wanted to get to know her better and now I've bloody scared her off!"

Her silently cursed himself for being so pushy towards the younger nation, he should have just let her be when she said she was sick. He knew that Madison was timid in nature so touching her probably hadn't been the most brilliant of ideas either. He tried to tell himself that the blame for her tears was to be put on her health and his own personal behavior, but just couldn't. Something in the back of his mind told him that there was more, that the young girl was harboring a forbidden secret.

"No, that can't be..." He muttered to himself. "You've just been watching far too many of the movies America made you borrow."

Madison slammed her front door shut with a loud bang, making straight for the bathroom. Rummaging through the various drawers, she finally found what she was looking for; her knife. Glancing up at herself in the mirror, she felt her emotions growing.

"Why do you have to be so stupid!" She screamed at the reflection. "Why couldn't you just tell him to leave you alone? Why?"

Pressing the cool metal to her skin, she took a deep breath.

"Why did you have to go and cry in front of him like that?" She sneered hatefully at the girl in the mirror. "Why can't you learn to control yourself?"

She paused briefly, pushing the blade down harder.

"I hate you. You're a stupid, helpless, weak, pathetic whore." She growled, her voice tainted with malice. "No one would notice if you died, no one. They don't care. Nobody loves you, Canada. You're all alone."

With that, she tore into her flesh, letting the sound of the knife breaking her skin be her comfort.

**A/N - Mein gott, this story is getting angsty... Oh well, angst is funner to write anyway. :P**

**A big thanks to Cryers Cross-Save-My-Soul for reviewing! :)**


	5. An Unexpected Visit

**A/N - Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days. I hit a wall with this chapter and it's take a while to get the creative juices flowing again. There's some FrUk hate in this chap (which was super fun to write, btw!), so enjoy! :)**

The Canadian nation awoke with a splitting headache. Clutching her head in agony, she sat up and took in her surroundings; she was in her bedroom. Normally, it wouldn't be strange to wake up here, but she distinctly remembered passing out in the bathroom after... Pulling her arms from beneath the covers, she quickly examined her wrists. Both were neatly wrapped in bandages, which could only mean one thing. Francis was here. As if right on cue, the Frenchman walked into the room, sending chills up and down her spine.

"_Bonjour, mon cher_." He greeted, a mischievous grin planted on his face.

Maddie made no move to return the greeting, mainly because of her dislike for the man but also because she was afraid of what he could do to her in this weakened state.

"You lost a great deal of blood." He informed her, gesturing to the bandages. "You should not have done that."

"It's not like you really care..." She muttered softly.

"_Vous avez tort_." He shot back, a hint of anger glazing his words. "I do care, believe me."

With one swift movement, the French country moved himself from the opposite side of the room and onto the bed. He nearly chuckled with glee at the fear that sprang up in Madison's eyes. It was amusing to know how much terror he could inflict on the other nation, even with something as simple as being near her. Placing a hand over her heart so he could feel it's rapidly increasing pace, he lowered his face to hers. He let his lips brush gently over her own, almost kissing her, but not quite. He grinned as Madison squirmed uncomfortably at the close contact, it was so much fun to tease her. Pulling her into his arms, he began running his hands through her soft, golden curls.

"You are so precious to me, _mon amour_." He whispered seductively in her ear. "I would never want to lose you."

Madison clenched her teeth together as she felt his hands begin making their way down her torso, stopping when they reached her hips. She wanted to fight back, but she knew it would only make things worse than they already were. She was by no means a weak nation, but France seemed to be able to overpower her no matter what. Then, seemingly out of no where, the doorbell rang. It was an uncommon occurrence at Canada's house, seeing as no one really knew who she was let alone bothered themselves with making a social call.

"I'll get it." She told Francis, attempting to stand.

"_Non_." He hissed. "You are not in a fit state to see anyone. I will answer it."

Before she could protest, he was gone. With a sigh of relief, she muttered a quiet thanks to her unknown visiter, thankful for having been saved from France's advances.

"Arthur?" Francis snarled at his oldest enemy. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The Englishman snapped, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where's Madison?"

To be honest, finding France at Canada's house came as quite a surprise to the English nation. He knew that they had always been on fairly good terms, but she didn't strike him as the type to spend a lot of time with some one like Francis.

"Upstairs in her room." The French country stated. "Now, _connard_, what do you want?"

"That's really none of your business, frog." Arthur spat, trying to make his way past the other nation who was blocking the doorway. "Now let me in!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that." Francis hissed. "Little Madison is unwell right now and I do not think she would appreciate you barging into her home like this. _Au revior_, _Monsieur Kirkland_."

With that, the Frenchman promptly shut the door and locked it, leaving the English nation alone in the cold autumn chill.

Arthur glared viciously at the closed door, almost as if attempting to open it through sheer force of will. He considered using magic to get inside, but didn't think that Madison would appreciate her front door being blown off it's hinges. With a huff of aggravation, he turned around and made his way back to his cab, unaware of the the pair of violet eyes watching him from above.

**A/N - Thanks for taking the time to read this!**

**French translations:**

**_Bonjour, mon cher - _Good morning, my dear.**

**_Vous avez tort - _You're wrong.**

**_Mon amour -_ My love.**

**_Non -_ No.**

**_Connard - _Fool.**

** _Au revior_, _Monsieur Kirkland - _Goodbye, Mr. Kirkland.**

**P.S. Reviews = a happy author and a happy author = more chapters for you! :)**


	6. A Call

**A/N - I'm so glad to see that people are enjoying this story, it makes me really happy. :)**

**Lots of MapleTea in this chapter, you guys have earned it! **

* * *

Madison gazed intently at Arthur as he stepped into his cab, a thousand questions racing through her mind. What was he doing here? Why did he want to see me? Did it have anything to do with what happened yesterday? The soft creak of her bedroom door opening told her that she was no longer alone.

"What did he want?" She asked, still staring out the window.

"He wanted to see you, _mon lapin_."

"W-why?" She squeaked in surprise, feeling Francis' hand on her shoulder.

"You tell me." Francis hissed, jealousy coating his tongue.

Maddie shuddered as she felt the warm breath of the other nation on the bare skin of her neck. Her violet eyes glanced upwards, meeting the cold hard stare of Francis. He was angry, angrier than she'd seen him in a long time. His sapphire eyes held a possessive glint as well as a hint of betrayal. With a smirk, he pushed her against the wall, striking her across the face. Before she could so much as mutter an 'ouch,' he pressed his lips roughly against hers. Pulling away, he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"You are mine, Madison. Remember that."

His grip loosened and she slid to the ground, a frightened whimper escaping her mouth. With a chuckle, Francis took his leave and slammed the front door behind him.

Madison buried her face in her hands and began to sob. She hated living like this, it was too much. She didn't want to be alone anymore, she needed a friend, some one to be there for her, someone to understand her. But she knew all too well that could never happen. Having a friend that understood her meant that she would have to tell someone her secret, and that could never happen. She would be forever alone, left to wallow in the misery of her despair. The abrupt ringing of her cell phone pulled her from her thoughts. Stumbling to her feet, she reached into her crimson purse and pulled the phone out.

"H-Hello." She said softly, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. "Canada speaking."

"Hello, Madison." A very distinguished voice greeted. "This is Arthur."

"O-oh." She stammered, a bit surprised that he was calling her. "I uh, I'm... What did you need?"

"I just wanted to make certain that you were alright after yesterday, you seemed a bit... Distressed."

"..."

"Madison?"

"..."

"Look, I'm terribly sorry if anything I did or said upset you. I just thought that-"

"No." Maddie interrupted.

"I'm sorry?" He asked, not quite sure what she meant.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that... Well um... I-"

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it." Arthur quickly interjected. "I understand."

You could never understand, Madison thought bitterly, biting down on her tongue to keep the words from slipping out of her mouth. No one understands, and no one ever will. I've been damned to live a lonely and miserable life and there's nothing that you or anyone else can do to change that.

"...Thank you, Arthur." She spoke after a moment of silence.

"Madison..." He began, a bit unsure of what he should say. "Can I ask you something?"

"I-I guess..."

"What was Francis doing at your house."

Arthur instantly regretted the question as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Though he was curious, he knew better than to pry into another nation's personal matters. You just spy on them instead.

"Uh... He w-was uh, he was helping me be-because I was uh...sick." Madison stuttered, a bit thrown off by the question.

"So... You two are close then?" Arthur muttered softly, more to himself then to the other country.

Madison thought she detected a hint of what might be disappointment in his voice, but she couldn't be sure. Stop fooling yourself, she thought, he doesn't care about you.

"I don't know if I'd say that..." She said, speaking honestly. "He just likes to make sure I'm taken care of, t-that's all."

"I see... Well, I'll let you go. I certainly hope you get feeling better."

And with a click, he was gone, rendering Maddie alone once more.

* * *

**A/N - Poor Maddie is so oblivious... **

**_Mon lapin -_ My rabbit. **

**Reviews are much appreciated! :)**


	7. Bliss

**A/N - Ok, so I know it's been forever since I updated this story and I apologize. Life has not been kind to my friends and family the past month. I've had several close friends sent to the ER, my dad cut his thumb off, my brother broke his leg and arm (I have to take care of him 24/7 because none of my other siblings are qualified.), my cat was run over so I have her 4 newborn kittens (Not even a week old yet, poor things.) to take care of, and the list goes on. So now that I've explained to you all just a few of the reasons why I haven't been writing, on to the story! :D**

**This chapter was reaalllyyy hard to write, it was rewritten a total of 4 times, all completely different. I'm not good with cutsey, fluffy stuff, so hopefully it turned out all right. A humongous thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, and all that crap. You guys are made of 100% Prussian awesomesauceness! ^_^ **

* * *

A pair of gentle arms enveloped Madison, pulling her into a warm hug. She returned the embrace, resting her head on her lover's shoulder.

"Hey, Arthur." She greeted, pulling away from him after several minutes.

"Evening, Madison." He returned the greeting, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

Maddie gave the man another quick hug before heading to the kitchen to make their dinner, a smile planted softly on her lips. For the first time in many years, she felt happy, happy and loved. Arthur had taken her tragic life and turned it completely around.

* * *

Two weeks ago, Francis had gone to Spain on a 'business' trip. Somewhere during that time, Arthur and Madison had developed a relationship of a romantic nature. It wasn't much, she would come over, they would play a board game, or just talk. But it was the best thing that either had experienced in years.

* * *

After they ate dinner, they decided to watch a movie. Maddie smiled as she felt Arthur wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to himself. She responded by resting her head on his shoulder and placing her palm in his, locking their fingers tightly together. In that one blissful moment, everything was perfect. Just Arthur's presence alone seemed to wash away all her troubles and banish her every fear. It was then that Maddie realized that she loved him. She loved Arthur. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone in her life.

"Madison?" Arthur asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Eh?"

"Are you..." He hesitated for a brief moment. "...Happy? With me?"

"Happier than I've been in a long time." She replied honestly.

Both grew quiet, the sound of the movie playing in the background the only noise in the room. Finally, Arthur spoke.

"I'm glad." He paused a moment before speaking again. "Madison, I-I..." He stammered, his cheeks reddening.

"Yes?"

"I, er... I just want you to know that I, uh..." He struggled to get the words out. "Well, that is, I think-no... I know that, uh..."

"You what, Arthur?" She pried gently, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"I-I love you, Madison." He finally blurted out. "And I-I'm not just saying that, I really mean it."

Madison blinked in surprise, not sure if she had heard him right.

"Y-you love m-me?" She whispered, more to herself than to him.

"More than anything in the world."

Tears threatened to spill from Maddie's eyes, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Arthur actually loved her? How was it possible that someone like him could care for someone like her? How could one with so much power have feelings for someone so weak and pathetic? A girl who was practically invisible? She felt so small, so undeserving of his affection, but she had it nonetheless.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"I-I love you too."

With that she curled up in his arms, crying silent tears of joy until she fell into a deep sleep.

Arthur ran his hand gently through her hair. Replaying her words over and over in his head. 'I love you too.' Never had someone's words had such a big impact on him. Never had he felt so solely important to another being. Here, in his arms, lay the most beautiful woman in the world. A fragile, delicate soul, and she had entrusted him with her heart. He smiled as he planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. Tightening his arms around her, he swore silently to himself that he would never let her go, no matter what.

* * *

**A/N - I really hope you guys enjoyed that. **

**Thank you so much for reading this, it means a lot! :)**


	8. The Plot Thickens

Madison shivered, snuggling closer to Arthur for warmth as a draft of icy autumn wind blew in through the house's open window. In return, he secured his grip on her frail figure, holding her tightly against his chest. The two sat in silence for several minutes, simply enjoying one another's presence. It wasn't until a shower of rain began to pour through the window that they finally broke apart.

"Damn it!" Arthur cursed as he jumped up to close the window.

Maddie rushed into the kitchen to retrieve some towels to help soak up the pool that had gathered on the living room floor. After taking care of the watery mess, Arthur went to take a shower, and Maddie gathered up her few belongings so she could head home.

Francis sauntered up steps to Madison's front door, twisted the knob and let himself inside. A quick inspection of the house told him that she was out. He was about to leave when he spotted her cell phone lying on the kitchen table. Curious as to what she had been doing while he was away, he picked it up and began looking through her texts. His eyes narrowed in resentment as he saw who the majority of the messages were from; Arthur Kirkland. It was obvious that the two were dating, there was no question about it. It angered him to know that _his_ Madison had gone against his warning to stay away from the Englishman. He would make her pay for such treachery, he would make them both pay. His mind was torn from it's vengeful thoughts as Madison's phone gave a cheerful beep to say that she had received a new message. Francis quickly opened it and read it's contents.

_Morning love,_

_You left your scarf at my place. I'll bring it over in a minute._

_-Arthur K._

Slamming the phone shut, Francis spotted Madison walking up to the house. His lips curled into a cruel smirk, he knew exactly what needed to be done to destroy her and Arthur's relationship. And the best part was that he wouldn't even have to lift a finger, Madison would do everything herself.

* * *

**A/N - Hello, reader! Yes, I know, that was a very short chapter. The next one will be much, much longer, I promise.**

**Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and all that good stuff! Y'all are awesome! ****:D**


	9. Disaster

Madison tugged open her front door, only to be pulled inside and have it slammed shut behind her.

"Bonjour, Madison." An all-too-familiar voice cooed. "It's been a while, non?"

"F-Francis..." She gulped, looking up timidly.

His icy blue eyes stared accusingly into her violet orbs, threatening to reach in and tear apart her very soul. Not able to withstand his piercing gaze, she quickly averted her own to the floor.

"Something you want to tell me, mon cher?" Francis coaxed, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"N-no." She whispered, her voice trembling in fear.

"Are you certain?"

"...Yes."

Madison suddenly found herself being pressed against the wall of her kitchen, Francis' hand at her throat. She struggled against his grip, tugging furiously at his hands as they crushed her airway.

"Don't lie to me!" He snarled venomously. "I already know about everything that's gone on between you and that bastard!"

"Don't...don't talk...about...him...like that!" Maddie defended her lover, her lungs grasping for air.

Her efforts received a harsh slap in the face, followed by several rough kicks after being thrown on the floor.

"How dare you betray me with that English son of a whore!" He shouted, grasping her by the shirt and pulling her up to face him.

"I'm s-sorry, Francis!" She whimpered, her whole body trembling. "I'm so sorry!"

"Good." He hissed, then leaned close to her ear. "And if you value your idiot brother's life, you'll never see Arthur again. Is that understood?"

"...Y-yes." She agreed, not wishing any harm to come to her beloved brother.

Francis smiled, then threw a quick glance out the window, his eyes falling on the one thing he wanted to see most. Arthur's car; he was here. With a smirk, he turned back to Maddie.

"Kiss me." He ordered.

She hesitated, afraid of what else he might demand of her.

"Now." He hissed, wrapping his arms around her.

Doing as she was told, Madison leaned up and kissed him, lips trembling fearfully.

* * *

Arthur strode up to Madison's house, letting himself in when he reached the door.

"Madi-" He started to call but stopped.

There in front of him, wrapped in the arms of none other than Francis Bonnefoy, was Madison, his Madison. He felt his stomach churn sickeningly as he realized what they were doing; they were kissing. Arthur wanted to scream, he wanted to run and pull Madison away from Francis. But all he could do was stare in horror as the woman he loved gave herself to another. He watched as her delicate fingers ran through Francis' hair, twisting and winding with his each and every curl. He watched as Francis' hands explored her body, snaking over every inch of exposed skin, then slithering up her shirt in a very seductive manner.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Arthur shouted, unable to watch anymore.

The pair turned on the spot. Shock filled Madison's eyes and was soon replaced with horror as she suddenly realized that this had been Francis' plan all along.

"No, Arthur! I-it's not what you think!"

"Pardon me, but it's exactly what I think." He spat back.

"Arthur, please!" Madison begged, hoping he would listen.

"Shut up!" He cried. "You're no better than that bloody frog! I can't believe I ever trusted you!"

"No, you don't understand! He-" She started to say.

"Shh, mon amour." Francis whispered, pulling her close to his side, then turning to Arthur. "You're no longer welcome here, Monsieur Kirkland. Now, please leave."

And with that, Arthur stormed out, leaving a triumphant Francis and a heartbroken Maddie in his wake.

* * *

**A/N - And thus the drama begins! :D **

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, more to come soon~**


	10. Chapter 10

Arthur screamed angrily as he threw one of his favorite books against his living room wall, kicking over his coffee table and several other pieces of furniture in a fit of rage. He couldn't believe what had happened, or rather, he didn't want to. Madison, the woman he loved more than anything in the world, had betrayed him. She had gone behind his back and flat out cheated on him with one of the most repulsive men in existence. Just the thought of that worthless frog's face was enough to make him want to vomit. Arthur grimaced as he imagined all the heated nights the two had probably spent together, laughing him and his own ignorant position. _But Madison wouldn't do something that would she?_ He began to argue mentally with himself. _Does she really come off as the sort of girl who would behave that way? No_, he answered himself silently, _she doesn't_. But his mind was quick to remind him that he had caught her kissing Francis, and that it was a whole lot further than she'd ever gone with him.

"Was I not good enough for her?" He asked spitefully, directing his question to no one in particular. "Why would she chose him over me? It doesn't make any sense!"

Out of pure frustration, he thrust his fist in the wall, a string of british profanities spewing from his dry, cracked lips. He continued to pound into the wall, grunting each time the rough surface came into contact with the bare skin of his knuckle. He didn't stop, not even when a stream of red began to trickle from his now bloody fist and down his arm. Several minutes went by before he finally sank to the floor, buring his face in his hands. He cried. Harder then he'd ever cried in his life. Hours passed and the tears still hadn't stopped. He lay sprawled across his living floor, a bloody, watery-eyed mess; but he didn't care. All that mattered now was Madison and that she was gone, snatched from the palm of his hand, and with her, his heart. He doubted he would ever be the same again.

* * *

A pained hiss escaped Madison's lips as she pushed the blade deeper into her already scarred arm. Fresh blood gushed from the wound and onto the floor, forming a crimson pool at her feet. Crystal tears slid down her pale cheeks, mixing with the blood once they reached the ground.

"What have I done?" She wailed bitterly. "Arthur hates me now! I-"

The rest of her emotional rant was cut off by the opening of her bathroom door.

"_Mon dieu_, Madison!" Francis cried when he saw the bloody mess.

He hurried to her side, carefully avoiding stepping in any of the sticky, red liquid. With a disapproving scowl, he wrapped her arm in a towel and began cleaning the blood-stained floor. Maddie remained silent, her thoughts blurred by her emotion. Her face held no expression, like that of an unfinished doll. Her once vibrant, violet eyes faded into a dull, lifeless gray. If it wasn't for the constant beating of the heart inside her chest, one might question wether or not she was still alive. In her current state, her mind barely registered the arms that wrapped around her waist and carried her to her bedroom. An eternity passed before Maddie finally broke down and began to cry again. Her muscles tensed as a pair of familiar hands slunk around her shoulders.

"Shh, mon cher." Francis cooed, his words sweet as poisoned honey. "It's going to be alright. I've got you."

She knew it wasn't wise, but Maddie found herself gladly accepting the Frenchman's comfort. Buring her face in his chest, she fell into a fit of relentless sobbing. Francis spoke again, but what he said didn't register. She cried and cried, until finally, Francis pulled her away from his body. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear;

"Madison, je t'aime"

Then he kissed her, and much to his surprise, she kissed him back.

**A/N - Once again I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. It really isn't fair of me to make you all wait an entire month for an update. Honestly, I don't know why you guys put up with me. **

**Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this failtastic story (Seriously. I had to go back and reread some of it for this chapter, and the entire time I was just like: O.o 'Did I seriously write that?! Omg, I'm such a derp!' *facepalm, faceplam, facepalm*). Thanks for reading! :)**

**Love you guys! 3**


	11. Chapter 11

Half of Maddie's mind questioned her reckless behavior, but the other half assured her that it didn't matter. After all, it wasn't like she had anything more to lose, was it? No, she didn't. So against her better jugdement, she continued to kiss her golden-haired tormenter, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

* * *

Francis smiled through the kiss, for just one moment everything seemed perfect. But then reality hit him like a harsh slap in the face. He cringed as the memories of how he had stolen his precious Madison's innocence flooded back into his mind. It hadn't been intentional, but through his own lust and greed, it had happened. Sometimes he hated himself for the things he did to her, and having been sexually abused as a child, he knew exactly what he was putting her through. It hurt knowing that he was the cause of such pain in her life, but what could he do? He doubted that she would ever forgive him, even if she knew the truth about his past. Letting her go wasn't an option either, Francis was a selfish man and she belonged to him, simple as that. It made his blood boil knowing how Arthur, that slimy Brit, had tried to steal her from him. Madison was his and no one else's.

Several lengthy seconds passed before Francis pulled away from Madison, brushing back her hair so he could see her face. Their eyes locked and he frowned, he didn't like what he saw. Hurt, sorrow, anger, hatred, betrayal, and a plethora of other emotions mixing together in a pool of deep purple, an unnatural color that seemed on the verge of insanity. _What have I done to you, mon amour?_ He wondered to himself, stroking her damp cheek with the back of his hand. He knew that he was to be held partially responsible for her current state, he had taken her heart and shattered it into a thousand pieces. But was he really entirely to blame? Was it not partly her fault as well for getting involved with Arthur when she already belonged to another? No. As much as he tried to justify his actions, he couldn't. The truth of the matter was that he simply refused to give up the woman he loved. And he doubted he ever would be willing to give her up, she was precious to him and he didn't want to lose her, no matter the cost.

**A/N - Two updates in one week? It's a miracle I tell you. A maple freaking miracle.**

**Yeah, yeah, it's really short, I know. After about six rewrites, I stopped caring about length. But hey, it's better then nothing at all, right?**

**Anywho, what did you guys think about this chapter? I personally really like it (even though it was the most annoying thing ever to write). In earlier chapters I felt like I made Francis too one-dimentional so I decided to make him a bit less loathable (Is that even a word? I don't think so but I'm gonna use it like it is. XD) and more misunderstood. **

**Thanks for reading. Y'all are awesome. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Weeks passed and the time came for the next world meeting. Arthur strode glumly down the hall to the conference room, a disheartened frown planted on his lips. He was deep in thought until a certain loud, obnoxious individual decided to very rudely interrupt him.

"Yo, Arthur!" An all too familiar voice called from down the hallway. "Wassup, dude? You look pretty down. Something happen?"

Arthur glared daggers at the voice's owner, Alfred Jones was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"That's none of your business!" He snapped in response to the American. "Now leave me alone."

"Awwww, is some one being a Mr. Grumpy Pants today?" Alfred teased, a mock pout playing on his face.

The other made no attempt to reply, simply giving an indignant huff and storming off. Alfred, not being able to take a hint, trailed after him, begging for an answer to his earlier question.

"Come on, Artie, you can tell me!" He pleaded, tugging at the older man's jacket.

"Don't call me Artie, you git!" Arthur snarled angrily. "And I already told you, it's none of your bloody business so piss off!"

Alfred frowned, something was definitely wrong, it wasn't like Arthur to get this upset over simple teasing. Something really terrible must have happened recently.

"Arthur..." He spoke quietly, his tone and expression growing serious. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

"You wouldn't understand..." The Englishman mumbled, turning his gaze to the ground.

Could he really tell Alfred about Madison? Would he be upset that he hadn't been told about the relationship? Did he know about her and Francis?

"Try me."

"Well, it's just..." He began but changed his mind. "Er... Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Does your sister, er-Does she... Is she with Francis?"

"Mads?" Alfred asked, scratching his head. "I dunno. They dated a long time ago but they broke up. Never told me why. I'd be pretty surprised if they got back together. She hates his Frenchie guts."

"Oh... I see. Thank you, Alfred."

And with that he turned and entered the conference room, carefully processing the information he had gathered. Something seemed off, out of place. If Madison disliked Francis as much as her brother said she did, then why was she with him now. It just didn't seem right.

* * *

Maddie sat alone in her house, sipping a cup of maple flavored tea quietly. Francis had forbidden her from attending the world meeting, not that she'd be missed anyway. Maybe it was better that she didn't go though, she wasn't sure that she would be able to handle being in Arthur's presence at the moment. She was certain that he hated her and that if he saw her, he would do everything in his power to make her miserable. It hurt knowing that the one person you loved more than anyone else in the world couldn't care less about you. Seeing him would only bring more pain, it wasn't worth it.

The afternoon passed slowly, and eventually it reached the time when the meeting would be over. _Francis will be getting back soon_, she thought unhappily to herself. Since her recent 'betrayal' the Frenchman had insisted on moving in with her so that a second instance wouldn't occur.

A sharp knock at the door informed her that he was home. With a sigh, she sat her drink down and stood up to open the door. Much to her surprise, it wasn't Francis who she found waiting on her front step, it was Arthur.

* * *

**A/N - Cliff hanger! Mwahahahahahahaha!**

**The next few chapters all have cliff hangers too so you better get used to it. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this crappy chappy (Haha, that rhymes~ ^_^), I shall update again soon. XD**


	13. Chapter 13

The two stood in silence, each avoiding the other's gaze. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Seemingly out of nowhere his throat had grown excruciatingly dry, feeling as though it would crack into a thousand tiny pieces were some one to touch it. Maddie's skin was now drained of color, her muscles tense and frozen in place, giving her the appearance of a statue. Time seemed to come to a halt as the pair finally locked eyes, a harsh mixture of violet and green. The crisp autumn air was tingling with the intense emotions of both the Brit and the Canadian, a thin layer of tenseness that could at any moment be shattered like a sheet of glass. Finally, Arthur spoke.

"Ma-" He began but was cut off by an angry female voice.

"Leave." Madison snarled, her voice ice cold without the slightest hint of friendliness.

"Wha-What?" Arthur stammered, startled by her sudden outburst. "I don't understand."

"Leave." She repeated, her tone laced with authority. "You'll only make things worse. For both of us."

"But... Madison, I-"

"Save your breath, tea-drinking bastard!" She shouted bitterly. "It's over between us! You hear me? I don't want anything to do with you and there's nothing you can do or say that will change my mind!" And with that, she slammed the door and retreated into the house.

* * *

Maddie ran up the staircase and into her bedroom, tears flooding down her cheeks. If she hadn't been absolutely certain before, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Arthur hated her now. She had known that it would hurt to see him again, but she hadn't expected it to be this painful. And having to pretend that she too hated him when all she wanted to do was crawl into his arms only amplified the pain. She collapsed on her bed, grabbing a pillow with her right hand and bringing it up to her face to muffle her sobs.

A thousand emotions bubbled up inside her, causing her to cry harder than ever before. She just wanted to run, to get away from it all, to escape this living hell. If only she could. Her eyes fell on her nightstand, where her gun was kept. A twisted smiled formed on her lips as she thought of how nice it would be to end this once and for all. But the smile quickly faded when her mind reminded her of her many failed suicide attempts.

"Really, Maddie?" She scoffed at herself. "You don't have the guts to take your own life, even when you've got nothing to lose? You're pathetic."

Hurt by the sting of her own words, a fresh batch of tears made their way from her puffy eyes, only to be sopped up by the pillow that she clutched against her face. Had she not been so lost in her despair, she might have noticed her bedroom door opening, and she might have noticed the figure that stepped through the open doorway. And just maybe, if she didn't have her face buried in a pillow, she would have noticed how the figure was slowly moving towards her, stopping when it reached her bedside.

* * *

**A/N - I fail at writing long chapters. :P**

**Y'all should review if you've got time, it'd make my day. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Madison?"

Maddie's head shot up at the sound of her name being spoken. She gasped when she saw who stood at the foot of her bed; it was none other than Arthur Kirkland. His green orbs staring tenderly into her own violet, gazing at her with concern and an emotion that the Canadian couldn't quite identify. Without a warning, Arthur plopped himself on the bed, and grabbed her, cradling her in his arms. Freeing one of his hands, he began running his fingers through her honey colored locks. His attempt at comfort seemed to work, her sobs grew steadily softer as she buried her face in his chest. In that moment he knew that he could never leave her. His love for her had grown and consumed every fiber of his being. It didn't matter whether or not she felt the same, he would be there for her no matter what. He would be her faithful servant, her knight in shining armor, her prince charming, whatever she wanted, just as long as it meant he could stay by her side. He vowed then and there that he would never be parted from her, not even when he was cold in his grave. He would stay with her forever and ever.

"I love you, Madison." He whispered, his tone gentle and sweet as he brushed a stand of hair from her face. "So very much..."

"But Arthur..." She protested quietly, being careful to avoid his gaze. "I-I don't deserve you... Why don't you go find someone who's actually worth your time?"

"No." He stated firmly, cupping one of her cheeks in the palm of his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're wrong. You are worth my time. And don't say that you don't deserve me because it's me who doesn't deserve you."

"Why me?" She asked bitterly, her eyes welling up. "Of all the people on this godforsaken planet, why did you have to go and fall in love with me? I'm nothing special."

"Yes, you are." Arthur spoke tenderly. "You're kind, beautiful, sweet, smart, caring, and can cook a hell of a lot better than I can!"

Maddie blushed with each compliment, chuckling softly when he came to the last one. He laughed with her, but quickly grew serious, taking her hand in his and gazing lovingly into her eyes.

"Madison, you're the most amazing woman I've ever met and there is no one else I would rather give my heart to. I'm yours for all eternity."

Before she knew what she was doing, Maddie leaned up and pressed her lips to Arthur's. For a brief moment he didn't move, taken aback by her sudden actions. But not two seconds later, his arms were wrapped around her waist as he returned the kiss. It started off soft and gentle, growing more fierce and passionate as the seconds ticked by. Eventually, the kiss was cut off by the couples need for air. Both panted heavily as they pulled away from one another, each blushing a dark shade of crimson.

"And I'm yours." Maddie whispered shyly, casting Arthur a brief glance and then quickly lowering her gaze.

He smiled. She had no idea how much it meant to him to hear her say that. He leaned in to kiss her again but stopped when the sound of a door slamming was heard from downstairs.

Maddie's face paled as she swore under her breath.

"What is it, love?" He asked, almost dreading her answer.

"F-Francis is back!" She squeaked, sounding more terrified than Arthur had ever heard her. "He can't find you here!"

Ignoring his questions and protests, she grabbed his wrist, drug him over to the nearest closet and stuffed him inside.

"Stay in here until he leaves." She instructed, her voice trembling with fear. "Don't come out, no matter what happens."

Arthur nodded, a sick feeling forming in the pit of his stomach as she slid the two doors shut. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he felt uneasy, as though he knew somewhere deep in his subconscious that something very, very terrible was about to occur. And he would be right here to watch it.

* * *

**A/N - Yay! A quickish update. ^_^**

**If you can't tell, I'm like super awkward with fluffy stuff so this was kinda hard for me to write. But I think I did ok? **

**Next chappie will be up soon (well... maybe...). Just a heads up, it's a major cliffhanger! Mwahahaha! XD**

**Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and alerts! Your support means a lot! **


	15. Chapter 15

The sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs was heard throughout the house. Maddie clenched her sweaty palms together, her stomach twisting itself into a knot. She jumped slightly when the bedroom door burst open and a figure stepped into the room.

"Bonjour, Madison!" Francis grinned, shutting the door and approaching the tiny Canadian.

"Hello, F-Francis." She gulped, backing away from him.

"Did you miss me, mon cher" He asked, chuckling darkly. "Because I missed you."

Without waiting for her to answer, the Frenchman pushed her onto the bed, pinning her arms down. Despite her pleas for him to stop, Francis began to kiss the nape of her neck, nipping softly at her exposed skin. His hands raked greedily through her blond hair as her forced her body closer to his own.

"Francis." She whimpered softly. "Please... I don't want this. Just... Just leave me alone!"

"Mon lapin... You look so cute when you're frightened." He whispered maliciously, a smirk forming on his lips.

* * *

Arthur could only stare in horror as he watched the scene before him unfold. Every thing suddenly made sense. It was no wonder that Madison was always so hesitant to move forward in their relationship. She was no doubt frightened that he would end up treating her in the same manner Francis had. Her life must have been so miserable, constantly being hurt by those who should love her. He couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it must have been. But one thing he did know, was that he had the power to stop what was happening once and for all. So taking in a deep breath, he stepped out of the closet.

"That's enough, Francis!" He said sternly.

The other two nations quickly turned their heads in his direction, both mouths agape.

"Arthur?" Francis asked, glaring at the shorter man. "What are you doing here?"

"That's none of your business, frog!" He snapped. "Now, if you have any sense left in that thick skull of yours, you'll leave this house and never bother Madison again. Are we understood?"

Francis bit his lip nervously, as if thinking the situation over carefully.

"Oui..." He sighed after several moments of contemplation. "I will leave." With that he stood up and trudged towards the door.

Maddie could hardly believe that he had given up so easily, it was almost too good to be true. No sooner had she thought the words when Francis whirled around, a knife in hand. He tackled Arthur to the ground, pushing the blade against his throat.

"Listen to me, Arthur Kirkland." He growled viscously. "Madison is mine and I refuse to have her taken from me!"

Panic flooded through Maddie's veins, she was about to watch Arthur be killed right before her very eyes and there was nothing she could do about it. Or was there? Springing to her feet, she opened the drawer that held her handgun and pointed the barrel at the Frenchman.

"Leave him alone, Francis!" She demanded, taking a step towards the two men.

"Or what?" He asked, not bothering to look up.

"Or I shoot." She deadpanned.

At this, Francis' head snapped up, his eyes meeting her ice cold stare. The shock on his face was quickly replaced with a knowing smile.

"Oh? I don't think you would." He laughed, dropping Arthur and moving towards the Canadian.

"D-Don't underestimate me!" She shot back, her voice quivering slightly.

With a smug grin, he pulled the revolver from her hands, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Madison!" Arthur cried, moving to his feet and stopping when Francis pressed the gun against Maddie's head.

"Well, well." The French nation hummed triumphantly. "Looks as though I win this time, Arthur."

Maddie locked tightly in his grip, he began backing slowly towards the door, stopping in front of the frame to give the Englishman a quick warning.

"If you attempt to follow me, Madison will pay. With her life."

* * *

**A/N - Aaaannnddd... Cliffhanger! **

** ...Yeah, I bet you all hate me now... But hey, it keeps the story interesting, right? Right? No... Ok. **

**Because you're all such awesome readers (and because I'm such an awesomely nice person), I'm gonna give you a little spoiler for the next chapter. You ready? Huh? K, here it goes... Arthur...does NOT...save...Madison. **

**HAHAHA! I'm such an evil person. ^_^**

**But that doesn't ********necessarily mean that Francis wins, it just means that Arthur won't be the one to save her (if she gets saved at all that is).**

******Welp, that's all for today. I shall try to update soon (keyword there is TRY). :P**

******Au revoir my dear readers! **


	16. Chapter 16

"Madison will pay. With her life."

Arthur stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Every muscle in his body was telling him to run and rescue his beloved Madison. But he knew that if he did, Francis would kill her. Although technically speaking a nation couldn't die, but the process involved in healing oneself from a fatal wound was excruciatingly difficult. It took major tolls on the economy of the nation as well as on them as a person, usually leaving them with some kind of lifelong defect. The defects weren't always physical either, circumstances sometimes left the countries with no choice but to sacrifice some of their sanity in order to save themselves. That never ended well. Ever.

So there he stood, completely useless to the one he cared for. Any attempt to rescue her would earn her some sort handicap, wether it be mental or physical. If he truly wanted to save her, it would have to be done the hard way. And if that meant tracking Francis to the ends of the earth, then so be it.

"Don't worry, love!" He called as the two exited the room. "I'll find you, however long it takes!"

Maddie smiled softly, her violet eyes full of hope. If anyone could save her, Arthur could. Of that she was certain.

As the door slammed shut, Arthur quickly moved to the window. His forest green eyes watched intently while Francis forced Madison into his car. A solitary tear slid down his cheek as he watched the vehicle drive away. It was a bit ironic, having just pledged never to leave her side and then just letting her go. Oh, sweet irony.

Pulling out his cell phone, he contemplated who he should call first. He knew that he would need all the help he could get, he just wasn't certain of who would best be able to provide that help. Sure, he could just talk to the police and call it good, but where would that get him? Since he didn't have any actual proof of the crimes committed against Madison, there really wasn't much that law enforcement could do. He would just have to take matters into his own hands. And so it was that he dialed the number of the one person who would be willing and able to help him more than anyone else in the world. Alfred Jones.

* * *

Alfred glanced questioningly at Arthur as the Englishman hopped into his car.

"So, uh... Whadiya wanna talk to me about?" He asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer. "You sounded pretty pissed off on the phone..."

"Just get us to the airport as fast as you can." Arthur ordered "I'll explain everything on the way."

* * *

Madison found herself being shoved into a tiny car. An old rag, saturated in incredibly strong smelling chemicals, was placed roughly over her nose and mouth. She tried as hard as she could not to breath, nearly passing out for lack of air, but eventually was forced to take a few whiffs of the unpleasant smelling cloth. Her head began to spin, sounds grew muffled as though she were underwater. Time seemed to slow, her movements jerky and sluggish as she fought to stay awake. She needed to know where she was being taken and why. But try as she might, she couldn't do it. The last thing she heard before drifting off was what sounded like an airplane. Then her consciousness slipped away from her, sending her plummeting into the darkness of her dreams.

* * *

"...And that's when I called you." Arthur finished.

Alfred didn't respond. He was too busy imagining how he was going to murder a certain Frenchman once he got his hands on him. No one messed with his little sister and got away with it. No one.

The two nations jumped out of Alfred's car as they arrived at the local airport. They hurried inside, hopping that they hadn't missed Francis.

"Excuse me, miss!" Arthur called to a young, off-duty, flight attendant. "You wouldn't have happened to see a tall blond man in a blue cape and a small blond woman pass by in the last few minutes would you?"

"Was it a Mr. Bonnefoy and a Miss Williams?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but they just left the airport ten minutes ago in a private jet." The flight attendant informed the two. "There's no way you'll be able to catch them."

"Damn..." Arthur swore. "You wouldn't happen to know where they went, would you?"

"I believe they were flying to Metz, France."

"...I see. Thank you for your time, miss." He smiled, then turned to his friend. "Come along, Alfred. We're going to pay Ludwig Beilschmidt a brief visit."

* * *

**A/N - Wheee~~ Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! You guys are epicsauce! :)**

**That said, this chapter sucks. I tried so freakin' hard to make it better but nothing worked. Twas very frustrating. .**

**Last chapter, a couple of you said that you think it's going to be America who saves Maddie (Again, that's if she gets saved. Hahaha!). Good guesses, you guys. Not saying that you're right or anything, but good guesses. **

**And that's pretty much it for this update. See you all next chapter! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

"So tell me why we're going to Germany again?" Alfred asked, his eyes still dark with rage.

Arthur sighed, this was the fifth time he'd had to explain this to the American today. It was getting a bit annoying.

"Because Mertz is near the French-German boarder. That should make it relatively easy to sneak across without being noticed."

"Why do we need to sneak across?" Alfred wined. "I say we just fly straight to Mertz and teach that snail-slurper a lesson!

"Look here, git. I understand that you must be upset about this whole ordeal, more upset than myself perhaps, but that doesn't give the right to act like a complete prat! I've already told you that Francis likely has people stationed in Mertz to alert him of our arrival. Though I'm loathed to admit it, the bloody frog isn't as big of an idiot as most make him out to be. If we slip across from Germany, we'll have the element of surprise. This way we'll have a much better chance of rescuing Madison then if we just go rampaging into France."

"Ugh, fine." The taller blond muttered, then added darkly, "I just wanna give Francis what he's got comin' to him..."

* * *

Madison awoke with a splitting headache. Attempting to push the throbbing pain aside, she quickly noted that her hands were bound with a thick rope and that her feet were chained to the foot of the bed she was currently laying on. Her violet eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in her surroundings. She was alone in a what she assumed was probably some kind of log cabin. The wooden floor was dotted with various fur rugs, each from a different animal. A bookcase sat to her left, containing reading material that focused mostly on taxonomy. The walls of the living space were occupied by several pairs of antlers and a painting of a deer drinking from a stream.

Curling into a ball at the foot of her bed, Maddie began to sob furiously. She just wanted this to be over. She was so sick of being a prisoner. Why couldn't it all just end? Minutes turned into hours as the tears continued to stream down her face. The sudden sound of footsteps in the next room alerted her that she was no longer alone.

"Evening, Madison." Francis smirked as he strode into the room.

Maddie made no move to respond, sending the Frenchman a murderous glare through her puffy, red eyes.

"What was that for, mon amour?"

Still no response.

"Hmm?" He mused, sitting down beside her. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"I hate you." She deadpanned.

"Oh?" Francis chuckled. "Is that right?"

Silence.

"So tell me, Madison. How are you enjoying your stay in England?" He questioned, snickering at the dumbfounded expression on her face.

"E-England?!" She exclaimed, all her previous stubbornness gone. "What am I doing here?"

Francis simply gave a sly look before standing to exit the room. "You shall see, mon cher. You shall see..."

* * *

**A/N - Yeah, I'm late again. Real shocker there, huh? -_-**

**Sorry if this isn't the best, I've been really depressed (due to a close friend of mine committing suicide) lately so it's been kinda hard to write. **

**So yeah, reviews would be nice. I'll try to update sooner next time.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N - Hey, guys. I know it's been awhile since my last update and for that I apologize. I was having a few issues with the plot that should hopefully be sorted now.**** I'll try to start uploading on a more regular basis so you lovely readers won't have to wait a billion years between chapters anymore. :p**

**Thank you all for being so patient with me!**

* * *

"...So you see, Ludwig, we were hoping that you would grant us passage from your land into France. That way Alfred and myself would be able to reach Mertz undetected."

"Ja, I would be glad to help." Ludwig quickly agreed. "I am only sorry that I cannot do more."

Arthur gave a nod of thanks and the two stood and exited the room, moving into the hallway were Alfred stood waiting.

"My condolences, Mr. Jones. I can only imagine what you are going through." Ludwig said, patting the American on the back. "I hope you find your sister soon."

Alfred didn't reply, simply trudging out the door after Arthur.

"Alfred, you shouldn't be so rude." The older nation scolded. "Especially not to someone who's just agreed to help us. It is uncalled for!"

"...Whatever..."

"No. Not 'whatever.'" Arthur snapped, getting more and more irritated with his friend's attitude. "You need to grow up and quite being such a selfish prat! You're always calling yourself a hero so you'd bloody well better start acting like one!"

"But I'm not a hero..." Alfred whispered quietly. "I never was..."

"W-What?!" Arthur stammered, uncertain of what he had just heard. "Why would you say that?"

"Look at me!" Alfred demanded, his voice full of pent-up emotion. "I'm pathetic... I've always believed that I was a hero, but now I see that I'm not. All those years Maddie, suffered and I never noticed. I never took the time to see what really happened between her and Francis... I was never there to protect her like I should have been... What kind of hero can't even do that much? Protect his little sister, his own flesh and blood? All these years I've been lying to myself. I'm not a hero and I never will be."

Arthur was speechless, he didn't know what to say. Surely Alfred didn't believe all that, how could he? Was it really possible for such a powerful nation to think so lowly of himself over one mistake? Perhaps he was just overreacting. Yes, that had to be it. Why, in just a few days he'd back to his good old heroic self. At least...That's what Arthur hoped...

~_Le time skip_~

Three days later, they had crossed the French-German border and were nearly to Mertz. Both were in a rather sour mood seeing as they were nearly out of food and had another day and a half of walking to go at least. Alfred was still being a mopey little git, only ever opening his mouth to complain that he wasn't a good enough hero and 'never' would be. Arthur was seriously considering giving him a good kick up the backside. Then Alfred would actually have something to whine about. Or better yet, he could duck-tape the his mouth shut. But of course, that would only work if he actually _had_ duck tape; which he, unfortunately, did not.

Taking a mental note to purchase some duck tape once they had reached Mertz, Arthur turned his mind to Madison for what must have been the millionth time. He hardly dared to imagine the horrific things Francis had most surely done to her. The more he mulled over her situation, both past and present, with the French nation, the more he began to ask himself, _why_? Why her? Madison was easily the sweetest and loveliest of all the nations, everything innocent and pure. Why had Francis chosen her to be his victim? Out of all the others, her. Was he really so sick and twisted that he took pleasure in tormenting her so? Or was she simply an easy target? Whatever the reason, one thing was certain, and that was that Madison did not deserve this.

"Hey Arthur, do y-"

Alfred's words were cut off by a thunderous explosion. The two nations were hurled to the ground as a violent tremor shook the earth.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Arthur shouted above the aftermath ringing.

Alfred opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it again as his face twisted in pain.

"...Alfred?"

"I-it's nothing I'm f-AH!" Alfred screamed doubling over in pain before collapsing into a pathetic ball on the ground.

Arthur rushed to his friend's side, grasping his wrist only to find that the young nation's pulse was slowing at an alarmingly rapid rate.

This couldn't be good….


End file.
